One of the newly established IITs, Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu has established itself as a leading research institution thanks to its distinct objectives. In November 2022, Ecosense provided and set up a Thermal Energy Storage System in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Jammu.
The Thermal Energy Storage system is a product of Ecosense’s Solar Thermal Lab.
Why Ecosense’s Solar Thermal Lab?
Ecosense’s Solar Thermal Labs provides an end-to-end learning and training in the field of Solar Thermal. Solar Thermal Lab consists of four products which together covers the entire concepts of Solar Thermal technology, usage and Installation.
Thermal Energy Storage System
The thermal energy storage (TES) can be defined as the temporary storage of thermal energy at high or low temperatures. The TES is not a new concept, and at has been used for centuries. Energy storage can reduce the time or rate mismatch between energy supply & demand and it plays an important role in energy conservation. Energy storage improves performance of energy systems by smoothing supply and increasing reliability. For example, storage would improve the performance of a power generating plant by load levelling. The higher efficiency would lead to energy conservation and improve cost effectiveness. Some of the renewable energy sources can only provide energy intermittently. Although the sun provides an abundant, clean and safe source of energy, the supply of this energy is periodic following yearly and diurnal cycles; it is intermittent, often unpredictable and diffused. Its density is low compared with the energy flux densities found in conventional fossil energy devices like coal or oil-fired furnaces. The demand for energy, on the other hand, is also unsteady following yearly and diurnal cycles for both industrial and personal needs. Therefore, the need for the storage of solar energy cannot be avoided.
Ecosense installs a Thermal Energy Storage System at IIT Jammu
This system has been designed to perform TES related experiment by using PCM materials. As there are several types of PCM, the system has been designed to perform experiment with at least two PCM separately. Provision is also kept to examine the combine (known as cascading) effect of two PCMs in thermal energy storage. To visualize the phase changes in the material another set of arrangement are there in the system.
Technical Advantages of Thermal Energy Storage System
• Artificial Source of heat
• Simple to integrate with solar thermal devices such as parabolic trough collector, Flat Plate Collector or Evacuated Tube Collector
• Inbuilt storage for two PCMs
• Easy to change the storage unit for new PCM
• Provision to perform experiment in cascading of PCMs
• Provision to perform experiment under different operating conditions (temperature, HTF, flow rate)
• Capable to give experimental knowledge of thermal resistance
• Capable to deliver in-depth knowledge about the charging, storing and discharging stages of latent heat thermal energy storage technology
• Evaluation of heat transfer during charging and discharging of PCM
• Evaluation of system thermal efficiency during charging storing and discharging the PCM
• Evaluation of overall system thermal efficiency
• Comparison of some experimentally and theoretically calculated values
Ecosense installs a Thermal Energy Storage System at IIT Jammu
Demonstration of Equipment Conducted
After Successful installation of equipments, complete demonstration of equipment conducted. The demonstration and training session was joined by faculty members and students of the department